1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to bird feeders and, in particular, a bird feeding device which dispenses bird seed and prevents animals, such as squirrels, from obtaining the seed.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various bird feeder structures are known in the prior art. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,399,650 describes a selective bird feeder for containing suet for outdoor use, being especially constructed to permit feeding of some birds while excluding others. U.S. Pat. No. 3,186,379 describes a feeding device for small birds of the clinging type such as chickadees, nuthatches and woodpeckers. U.S. Pat. No. 3,646,911 discloses a sorghum seed holder bird feeder including an elongated body with diagonal openings on the vertical side thereof for receiving and supporting the stalks of heads of sorghum grains. The body has a hook at the upper end for suspension from a tree branch and the lower end of the body has a removable plug with a downward nail for pounding into a supporting fence, rail or fence post. U.S. Pat. No. 4,318,364 discloses a bird feeding device in which two varieties of granular bird seed may be dispensed in a single device.
Although the feeders of the prior art claim to be squirrel-proof, many feeders require expensive structure to achieve such security or are unnecessarily limited in their ability to dispense seed.